Mt. Rainier is around 2.5 hours drive from Seattle. However, if you don’t hike or ski then the primary source of enjoyment on the trip has to be the glorious vistas on your way to the various famous view points. One late sunny morning, 10 of us piled into 2 cars and punched in the address to the Visitor centre of Mt Rainier. The picturesque drive starts much before you reach the mountain summit, but prepare for slow moving traffic.…
Haven’t written in a while. This feels like a homecoming, but am struggling where to start. Ironical since the post title is about not caring where things end. I have had a miserable few weeks, at one point I even burst into inconsolable tears. Then, fortuitously the grey clouds parted. I found myself on a boat, cruising down the South Lake Union. The sun was shining bright (a bit too bright for my eyes), but there was a gentle cool…
Delicate tufts of baby pink and pearly white like fresh flakes of snow. Cherry blossoms in bloom herald the start of spring. I like to think of spring season as the time nature allows itself to heal, or atleast the parts that are in its control. Leaves that had withered away in fall, take a shaky first breath as they dare to spring to life all over again. Flowers that could not bear the harsh winter, tentatively start to face…
In 1907 when most realtors were focused on the prospects of lands in Seattle downtown areas, millionaire Henry Whitney Treat discovered the potential of the Ballard waterfront. He named this settlement and nearby railways after his youngest daughter. Near the end of his trolley line, he established the Golden Gardens Park to encourage people to step out of the town and discover the joy of a picnic on the beach. It wouldn’t hurt that on the way they would see all this…
Every weekday starts off with this adventure. On the way to work, Aarwen and Lazywiz drive across the crowded Aurora bridge and follow the narrow road as it curves and heads into the unknown. Whether they were quietly contemplating about the day ahead or discussing the meetings that need attending, deciding what to have for lunch, how many cups of coffee to consume or are irate about the chores that remain pending, they pause as the car slows down. On one side is…
Once upon a time, on a beautiful morning, when the birds and bees were heralding the arrival of spring, I found myself alone; in a place, that was my home. It wasn’t long before I realised, I knew a warm and handsome guy who was in the mood for an adventure. He is a curious, loyal and dauntless sort of a fellow. A perfect companion when setting out for an adventure. So, we stepped out from the confines of the castle.…
We had taken the ferry over to Bainbridge Island. It was an unusually hot day. Every where there were sweating faces, the sun was high overhead and the air was still. We were on the island; what next? The museum sounded boring and it was simply too hot for a hike, so we decided on a walk down a sorrowful past. The Japanese American Exclusion Memorial. It was right at this site that the Japanese settled in and around this area of North…
What hits me first are the sounds of Pike Place Market. A constant hum of chatter of hawkers and gawkers. This is followed by the riot of colors that the eyes register even though the old worn out buildings have a muffled air and dispersed light somehow managing to find a way in. Flowers, fish, leather, paintings, scarves, vegetables in their vibrant raw beauty. Then comes the smells of fish (wrinkling nose here), coffee (freshly brewed in styrofoam cups), roses (and…
There are several lakes around and in Seattle. Rain, that has become a hallmark of this place. And even more water from the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Ocean seeps into the lands of Northwestern America through deep inlets making Seattle a busy port. These waterways were formed by the glaciers receding from the lands thousands of years ago leaving behind valleys where the ocean could flood in. In geography, a sound is a large sea or ocean inlet larger than…
My account of the drive to Leavenworth We have been to Leavenworth a few times before. I think of it as a quaint old sleepy town covered with snow, intriguing curio shops and inviting pubs and restaurants. So, I warned everyone with me to bundle up in jackets and sweaters and expect to feel cold. What I hadn’t planned for was the sunny day, bright flowers and happy tourists everywhere. Leavenworth is a few hours drive from Seattle. This tourist attraction is…